


like velvet cake

by yanak324



Series: love on the brain [3]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babies, Birthday Celebrations, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fools in Love, Long-Distance Relationship, Marriage, Proposals, Romance, Surprise Announcements, gendry POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21588010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanak324/pseuds/yanak324
Summary: Birthdays weren't really a thing for Gendry, not for a long time anyway. Then he met Arya Stark.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Series: love on the brain [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1510148
Comments: 65
Kudos: 217





	like velvet cake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lightninginabottle0613](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightninginabottle0613/gifts).



> I honestly don't know where this came from, but I'm glad it did. Who doesn't want some teeth-rotting fluff before they have to sit through a painful family dinner? 
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving Eve to those in the U.S!
> 
> To all my readers + the peeps I've met in this fandom, I am so, so, thankful for you all!
> 
> This one's for lightninginabottle0613, whose commentary on another story totally inspired this little oneshot and who continues to inspire me every day with her beautiful writing. I'd tell everyone to read 'took the long road,' but I'm fairly certain the entire world is onboard already, and rightfully so <3 
> 
> As always, I own nothing. Hope you all enjoy!

xxx

It’s not that Gendry hated his birthday. It’s just that he never made a big deal out of it. 

Growing up in the foster system wasn’t exactly conducive to lavish birthday parties, or parties of any sort really. Especially not when you were the grumpy, surly kid that everybody stayed away from.

He has faint memories of chocolate cake with vanilla filling; his mom softly crooning the familiar tune as he blew out the candles with all his might; dutifully listening to her and making a wish. 

But when that small tradition gave way to a fiver wedged into a generic looking card while his bunk mates all looked on in envy at his tiny store-bought cake, Gendry decided that birthdays weren’t worth the trouble.

Why blow out candles, he thought, when his wishes would never come true.

They wouldn’t bring his mom back.

By the time he was on his own, he usually forgot about his birthday altogether. Reminded only if some promo email came in or if he happen to glance at his calendar and it would jog his memory. 

So yeah, birthdays weren’t a thing for Gendry Waters for a really long time. 

Until he met Arya Stark. 

xxx 

He hadn’t known what to make of her initially, but he couldn’t take his eyes away from her all the same. 

They’d been introduced by her cousin, Jon. One of the few friends Gendry had made in his post-grad program at KLU. 

It had been pure coincidence that he ran into Jon that morning. He was days away from moving to Storm’s End. A dream job at one of the most prestigious architectural firms in Westeros pulling him away from the only place he’d ever called home.

They’d lost touch after graduation but he had been fond of the Northerner. 

It was a no brainer to accept Jon’s invite for a beer later that night.

What Gendry didn’t account for was walking into that bar and being instantly struck by the most mesmerizing pair of sleet gray eyes he’d ever seen. 

All thoughts of catching up with his old friend fell by the wayside as this mysterious woman, albeit with a slight resemblance to his friend, moved over in the booth and patted the spot next to her. 

“You’re Gendry, right?” 

“Yeah, and you are?” 

“I’m Jon’s cousin, Arya, visiting from Winterfell.” 

“Oh.”

There must’ve been confusion on his face, but it quickly faded as her heart-shaped mouth split into a smile just this side of inappropriate. Then, Gendry had no choice but to sit down next to her.

“Jon went to buy us a round, but I take it he didn’t tell you much about me, huh?”

He’d felt the heat creep up his neck then, whether from her magnetic gaze or the awkwardness of the situation – or both. 

“It’s okay, we can fix that.” 

She winked at him, and Gendry knew he was a goner.

xxx 

It wasn’t the right time to start a relationship, especially not a long-distance one.

But Gendry never had good timing in his life, so it wasn’t much of a factor in him asking for her number. 

Arya didn’t seem to care either.

Gendry had dated before; even lived with a girl briefly during uni. But none of those experiences had prepared him for the whirlwind that was Arya Stark.

Or how unbelievably easy it would be between them. 

For someone who was so used to being let down his entire life, Gendry had spent the first year of their relationship waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

It never did.

Even with the distance and their busy schedules, and the fact that they’d never even gone on a proper date, telling Arya that he was in love with her were the most honest and truest words he’d ever spoken.

And not even his cracked phone screen could hide the vibrance of her singular gray eyes. They first widened in shock and then dissolved into pure adoration as she shyly admitted that she loved him too. 

And he knew right then and there that no matter what, he’d spend the rest of his life finding ways to put that same look on her face. 

Even if it was through a shitty mobile screen.

xxx 

As good as Arya was at practically everything, there was one thing Gendry discovered his girlfriend was pretty terrible at.

She couldn’t cook to save her life, and also had the palate of a seven-year-old. 

During one of her first visits to Storm’s End, she’d almost burned his apartment down trying to boil water for pasta, and after that, Gendry quickly exiled her from the kitchen.

It was fine by him really. 

He’d learned to cook and feed himself early on, and found it enjoyable even, so it worked for them. 

At least this way, he could sneak a vegetable or two into her diet, which primarily consisted of foods that came in aluminum packaging and needed to be defrosted. 

Plus, it didn’t hurt that Arya always found very creative ways of thanking him for his time spent in the kitchen. 

They’d always curl up on his tiny couch after. Over a bottle of wine or a couple beers, or sometimes a joint, he’d tell her things he’d never told anyone else.

Like getting called to the principal’s office one day in fourth grade, where he was told that there was an accident, and his mom wasn’t coming to pick him up. That he would have to go with the nice lady in the black suit to a home he’d never been before. 

Like how at age 12, he’d almost been put in juvie for protecting a couple younger kids from a bully at school. 

Like how he’d discovered a passion for architecture and design after his high school counselor suggested he take woodshop as his elective in freshman year.

It was one of those nights, the anniversary of his mom’s death fast approaching, that Gendry told her about the chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, about how his mom would artfully arrange the candles on top and encourage him to make a wish.

About how he didn’t like making a big deal out of his birthdays. 

Arya hadn’t said much then, simply crawled into his lap and took his mind far, far away from the painful memories, but he should have known that wouldn’t be the end of it. 

The one thing he knew about this spitfire of a woman, it’s that once she had an idea in her head, it was there to stay. 

And nothing was going to stop her from acting on it.

xxx 

It started out small enough. 

Their first year together, it was tickets to see his favorite band play in King’s Landing.

Then, it was a weekend getaway to the Riverlands that just happened to coincide with his 28th birthday.

The year after that, it had been Arya herself arriving unexpectedly at his doorstep two weeks before her planned visit. 

And yet, Gendry didn’t catch on until he’d gone up to Winterfell the following year to help Arya pack up her stuff for the impending move to Storm’s End.

She’d informed him midway through his first afternoon there that they’d be going to her parents’ house for dinner that night.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until they’d walked into the house to find it decked out almost excessively in birthday decorations.

It didn’t even register that this was for him until Arya quickly left his side only to emerge from the kitchen moments later with a huge chocolate cake adorned with sprinkles and candles. 

Gendry had been momentarily awestruck, stunned even, as the entire Stark clan joyously sang happy birthday to him. After four years, he knew they considered him a part of the family, but it still felt like everything to him. 

He blew out the candles without second thought and even made a wish.

Hours later, Sansa had walked over to him as he stood talking with Jon by the fireplace.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Arya doesn’t usually make a big deal out of celebrations, birthdays and such. She doesn’t even like Christmas.” 

Her words gave Jon the perfect opportunity to make fun of him.

“What do you think, Sans?” He’d said, throwing an arm over Gendry’s shoulders.

“Does our little wolf fancy this guy?” 

Sansa at least had the decency to try and stifle her laughter, but Gendry had no such qualms about impropriety, elbowing Jon none too gently into his side.

The exchange kept percolating in his head for the rest of the night though. He had planned to bring it up to Arya when they were alone, but of course, she had other plans.

Like thoroughly distracting him by emerging from the bathroom wearing nothing but a gift wrap ribbon around her waist. 

That particular birthday had ended up in his top three, especially since his wish had actually come true that year. 

Two months later, he’d finally worked up the courage to propose to Arya.

Much to his surprise but apparently no one else’s, she’d said yes. 

xxx

From that point onward, Gendry decides to just roll with the punches and expect the unexpected each year. 

That’s the only reason he doesn’t immediately panic when he’s stirred awake on the morning of his 32nd birthday by a loud clanking.

He does have a hell of a headache though. The result of too many beers the night before with some buddies from work. He swallows down two aspirin before going to investigate the ruckus.

Gendry has every intention of announcing his presence but stops short when he reaches the doorway to the kitchen.

Sunlight pours into the room, giving it an almost ethereal tinge, like a dream that will dissolve if he so much as moves. 

Something sizzles on the stove a second later, sending sparks of oil into the air, and he watches Arya jump back with a curse. 

He laughs then, how could he not. His wife instantly whips around, cheeks flushed and hands on her hips. 

The light catches the glint in her eyes, making them appear more vibrant if at all possible. 

Gendry swears she almost has a glow to her, even as her expression suggests disapproval. 

Maybe _because_ of it.

“You were supposed to be asleep.” She tells him matter-of-factly. Gendry can no longer resist walking towards her, arms wrapping loosely around her waist.

“Oh, was I?” 

He leans down to kiss away the crease between her eyebrows.

While normally that would relax her, Arya remains tense. 

“Yes, you were. I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” she slinks her arms around his neck.

“You’re getting so old now, I figured I would spare your knees the extra walk to the kitchen.”

Gendry pinches her side at that, causing her to jump back, but not too far. 

“You want me to go back?” He asks, before running his lips along her hairline. 

“No,” 

A heavy exhale sends shivers up his bare chest. 

“Since you’re here, maybe you can help. I keep burning every single one.” 

After a quick glimpse at the stove, Gendry is about to tease her for turning the heat on way too high, but he catches sight of her expression twisted in concern. 

He uses his thumb to pry her lip from between her teeth instead, replacing it with his mouth. 

“Let’s see what we can do here,” he says encouragingly after they pull away, but Arya doesn’t smile like he expects her to.

She does, however, pull him back, whispering, “happy birthday, stupid” before nearly knocking the wind out of him with the force of her kiss. 

They eat the pancakes much later. 

xxx

Even with their leisurely morning and incredibly late breakfast, Arya still gives off nervous vibes well into the evening.

Aside from dinner with Sansa, who happens to be in town, and then drinks with Hot Pie after his shift at the restaurant, she hasn’t mentioned any other plans.

And look, it’s not like his birthday isn’t perfect already – everything pretty much seems to be when Arya’s by his side. 

But Gendry knows half the reason she even makes a big deal of it every year is that it gives her some kind of joy. 

So, he has every intention of confronting her before they leave for dinner. 

But when he emerges out of their en-suite bathroom to find her pacing at the foot of the bed, he’s momentarily sidetracked. 

She’s wearing a dark blue dress, the color reminding him of the one he’d just seen in his own reflection. Something low and warm unfurls in his belly, adoration washing over him at the gesture.

So much so that he almost doesn’t want to say anything, wants to lay her down on the bed, undo the delicate tie at her waist and make them _very_ late for dinner.

Arya senses his presence and looks up at him with what could only be described as pure nerves, and all his warm feeling dissolves right back into concern. 

He is about to ask her what’s wrong, when she sweeps something off the bed, and then walks up to him.

“Here, I was going to give it to you after dinner, but well…you’ll see.” 

Gendry glances down at the long, thin package in her hand – shimmery silver with a red ribbon tied around it. 

it’s the kind of box one would put a necklace in.

He doesn’t wear any jewelry, save for his wedding ring, so this leaves him truly perplexed as to what it can be. 

His eyes flicker up to meet his wife’s gaze. 

She’s chewing on her lip again.

“You didn’t have to, but thank you,” he says reassuringly.

Gendry isn’t exactly sure what to make of her mumbled response of “I kind of had no choice,” so he takes the box and opens it instead. 

Although he’d stopped guessing a long time ago what Arya would have in store for him each year, there were still little signs, little hints she’d drop so it didn’t totally come out of left field. 

This though, what she’s presented him in this festive little box, with its plain white plastic body and two pink lines bisecting the middle…

This is something he didn’t expect at all, but it’s already filling him with joy. 

“We’re…?” He looks back up to Arya’s face, still unable to fully comprehend what he’s looking at. 

The shyness that spreads over her features as she nods makes the sudden lightness in his chest expand tenfold. He feels like he’s floating, honestly. 

“Yeah, I’m pregnant. An epic gift, huh?” 

It all suddenly clicks. 

Her skittishness in the kitchen earlier, the way she’d tossed and turned the night before, the way she seems determined to chew a hole through her lip.

Gendry only has enough patience to close the lid and toss the box onto the bed before he’s lifting Arya into his arms. 

“The greatest gift,” he whispers into her hair, and kisses her cheek. Arya relaxes but it’s marginal and then she’s rambling before he can stop her.

“You sure?” she pulls back to look at him again.

“I mean we talked about it, but it was so long ago, and honestly, I wasn’t even paying attention until I suddenly couldn’t stomach the thought of Cheetos, and you _know_ how much I love those and well – “

Gendry cuts her off with a kiss – the only reliable way to get her to stop talking – and she finally, finally melts into his arms. The tension continues to seep from her body until it’s no longer there when they pull apart.

“We’re having a baby.” 

He says it against her lips, elation spiking inside him as he confronts the look of pure wonder on Arya’s face.

It must be the reflection of his. 

“Was this why you were acting so nervous all day?” 

Arya nods sheepishly, averting her gaze for a moment, and he’s unable to resisting brushing his thumb along her cheek. 

“I just wanted it to be perfect, you know.” 

“Oh, it is.” 

He reassures her instantly and tilts her face up so he can seal it with a kiss. 

They stay like that for a few minutes, drinking each other in, savoring this moment for what it is.

A new chapter of their adventure together…

That is until Arya breaks up the tranquility with a very unladylike snort. 

“What?” 

“Just not sure how I’m going to top this next year.” 

Gendry can’t help but laugh at that.

It’s the first time they’ve actually acknowledged that she does go out of her way to make his birthday special every year. 

Of course, she’d mention it so offhandedly right after giving him what is quite possibly greatest gift of all.

But his wife is not to be underestimated; that much Gendry learned right away. So, the answer is easy, as it always is with her. 

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” he tells her before seeking out her lips again. 

When Arya kisses him back with equal vigor, that familiar confidence and energy coming back to her, Gendry thinks that if he could go back in time, he would tell that grumpy, surly kid at the group home to look forward to his birthdays. 

To not let painful memories get in the middle of what could be an amazingly happy future. 

To not frown and to blow out the damn candles. 

And to always, always make a wish.

Because sometimes, they do come true. 

xxx


End file.
